A taste of Asia

A mouth-watering dish that brings together exotic flavours with a superior cut of meat.

The beautiful glaze and delicate combination of flavours in this dish speak for themselves, achieving the careful Asian art of complementing sweet with salty.

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 pork belly

Olive oil

Sea salt

Black cracked pepper

Fennel seeds

Dried thyme

For the dressing:

500ml beef or veal stock

100g soysauce

25g fish sauce

38g toasted sesame seeds

3 chillies (split in half)

4 sticks lemongrass (remove outer leaves)

15g ginger (fresh)

1 bulb Garlic cut in half to release flavour

6 kaffir lime leaves

3 limes halved and zested

1 star anise

Method

Trim the pork belly and remove the nipples

Generously rub the skin side with a mix of sea salt and olive oil

Generously rub the meat side with a mix of olive oil, pepper, sea salt, dried herbs and fennel seeds

Place the belly pork flat on a cooking rack in an oven tray, this allows the heat to uniformly cook the belly pork. Place in an oven at 200°C for 30 minutes to crisp

Reduce the heat to 165°C and cook for 2 hours. Meanwhile combine all the ingredients for the dressing and reduce by a quarter in a thick bottom pan

After 2 hours, take the pork out and carefully remove the skin

Sprinkle a bit more sea salt on the skin and place back in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C to crisp into crackling

Collect the pork juices from the pork tray and add to the Asian mix, then reduce for a further quarter, skimming with a ladle

Before serving, baste the pork with the Asian dressing and reheat, preferably under a grill for two minutes

TO SERVE

Cut the skin into crackling and use the crackling and the dressing as garnish. This dish is best served with green beans, mashed potatoes or even noodles and Asian salad. Garnish with sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.